Folding bed.



, N04l 850.103. PATENTE!) APB. 9, 1907. ,P. F. SGHAUBR c J. GRAFF.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FERDINAND E. scHAUER ANDWioHN GRAPE, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

FOLDING BED.

Speciication of Letters Patent.

Patented April 9, 1907.

)Application filed September 21. 1906. Serial No. 385,562.

To aZZ whom, t Wmy concern:

Be it known that we, FERDINAND F. SCHAUER and JonN GRADE, citizens of the United States, residing in the borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and city and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Folding Beds, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to an improved form of folding cot or bed.

The principal object of this invention is the provision of a bed appropriate for camp uses and the like which shall have as few p arts as possible, shall be light and strong, and shall be capable of being folded into the smallest possible space in proportion to its length.

Our improved bed is cheap and durable and has the further advantage of being free of complication, so that the method of folding i's obvious and easily learned.

Our invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a perspective view of our cot in position for use. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the saine when folded for transportation, and Fig. 3 is a detail elevation of our improved miter-joint for the legs at head and foot of the cot.

The bed comprises two side bars, which are preferably jointed or hinged together at their middles, although our invention includes beds short enough not to require foldingof the side bars. In the preferred form shown, however, we have illustrated side bars each of which is composed of two parts (seen at 1, 2, 3, and 4) which are hinged in pairs at 5 and 6.

The supports at head and foot of the cot are alike, so that a description of one will serve for both. These supports comprise two legs 7 and 8, jointed, respectively, to the extremities of the side bars, as shown. The form of oint preferably used in connecting these legs to the side bars is shown in section in Fig. 3 and in elevation in Fig. 2. The

meeting ends of the side bars and legs are mi-V tered or cut at an angle such that when these ends come together the legs assume the desired angle with relation to the side bars. Both the top of each leg and the adjacent eX- tremity of t e side bar is divided by a narrow slot. Within these slots there fits an angleplate 9 for each leg, said plate being fixed 1mmovably in one of said slots and pivotally secured within the other. It is immaterial to this invention whether the plate is fixed to the leg or to the side bar. In the preferred form shown each angle-plate 9 is fixed to its corresponding side bar and is pivoted, as shown at 10, to the leg. Each angle-plate 9 is provided with an offset, as 11, which is perforated, as at 12. A pivoted hook 13 is provided near the top of each leg and is so placed that its point passes through the aperture 12, so as to firmly secure the leg in the useful position, as illustrated in Fig. 1. This form of joint is firm against both longitudinal and transverse or lateral stress and is at the same time simple in use and very durable` The end legs are further braced by two cross-bars 14 and 15, of light strong metal, which are pivoted to each other at 16 and to the two legs 7 and 8 at 17 and 18. The ends of these bars hook over pins 19 and 20, as shown, thus forming strong lateral braces for the end supports of the bed.

In those forms of our improvement which, like that illustrated, are so long as to require jointed side bars we prefer to provide an intermediate support formed of two legs 21and 22, braced like the legs 7 and 8 at head and foot; but these intermediate legs are connected to one of the sections of the side bars on each side by means of simple hinges 23, placed near the hinges 5 and 6. A hook 24 on each side serves to brace the middle support when the cot is in position for use. The side bars, supported as above described, in turn support a canvas covering 25, stretched from one to the other. This may be secured in a variety of ways without departing from ourinvention 5 but we prefer to form a double fold or bag with two open ends, which is slipped over the side rods before the legs 21 22 are secured. Such a bag may be secured in place in any desired manner and provides a stout support for a mattress or other bedding. Moreover, it protects the hinges 5 and 6.

A folding cot made in accordance with the above description is light, inexpensive, easily 'managed, and folds into very small compass. It is composed of very few parts and is at the same time perfectly stable and. strong when assembled for use.

The method of folding for packing will be clear from inspection of Fig. 2. The braces 14 and 15 of each support are first unhooked and folded nearly parallel to each other, the

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opposite legs and side bars being thus brought together side by side. The stayhooks 13 and bracing-hooks 24 are loosened and the Various supports are turned on their hinges and pivots down against the under sides of the side bars. Finally where jointed side bars are used the sections are folded over upon each other, as shown at l and 2 in Fig. 2.

The smaller arrows in Fig. 1 indicate the directions in which the Supports are swung in folding up the cot, while the largearrow to the left in said figure indicates how the left-hand side-bar sections are folded over onto the right-hand sections.

What we claim is- A folding bed comprising side bars jointed between their ends a pair of legs at esoh end of the bed pivoted to each other, the meeting ends of the side bers .and legs being Initered and kerfed, and a flat connectingplete oo? eupying the rneetin kerfs of each leg and side bar, said plates eing rigidly fixed to the bars and pivoted to the legs, substantially as described.

FERDINAND F. SCHAUER. JOHN GRAFF. Witnesses:

F. WILLIAM BECKER, A. J. ULRICH. 

